What Americans Need to Know About Marijuana
Important facts about our nation’s most
misunderstood illegal drug
October 2003
Table of Contents
- Introduction (PDF 291 kb)
There is a serious drug problem in this country, and marijuana is a much bigger part of the problem than most people realize.
- Myths and Misperceptions (PDF 148 kb)
MYTH 1: Marijuana is harmless.
MYTH 2: Marijuana is not addictive.
MYTH 3: Youth experimentation with marijuana is inevitable.
MYTH 4: Marijuana is not associated with violence, as are drugs like cocaine and heroin. The criminalization of marijuana is what leads to crime, not the drug itself.
MYTH 5: Prisons are filled with non-violent, casual marijuana users.
- The Mission (PDF 138 kb)
Responsible public policy seeks to reduce access to and availability of marijuana.
- Related Issues (PDF 145 kb)
- Marijuana v. tobacco and alcohol: the case against legalization
- Gateway theory
- Medical marijuana
- State initiatives
- The European experience
- Drug testing in schools
- Sources (PDF 188 kb)
More young people are now in treatment for
marijuana dependency than for alcohol or
for all other illegal drugs combined.
Department of Health and Human Services,
Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration,
Treatment Episode Data Set,
2000
